


Going Home

by SilverServerError



Series: Elf Practice [14]
Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Feeling unsafe at night, Gen, It all works out okay, Lup is so good, background taakitz, past Bradko
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-12
Updated: 2017-11-12
Packaged: 2019-02-01 10:03:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,431
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12702609
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverServerError/pseuds/SilverServerError
Summary: It’s weird feeling lonely when the whole world loves you, but some habits are hard to break.Alternatively titled: Fantasy-Uber is Expensive





	Going Home

The soft thud of Taako’s heels reverberated in the alley, bouncing off brick and cobble stone. His shoulders kept drawing a touch tighter. He struggled with himself as the paranoia set in.

Things had felt fine until suddenly they hadn’t.

He kept trying to remind himself he was stronger now. He could defend himself. This wasn’t even a bad part of town.

Part of him felt guilty. He’d grown up in alleys like this one. Every suspicious glance felt like an traitorous accusation. It was mostly other people hurrying home. A few laying down for the night because they had nowhere else to go. He’d been homeless and never caused anyone any trouble. Well, maybe stolen a few things here and there, but never hurt someone.

He swallowed. (No, that started happening much later.)

He tried not to glance sideways into every shadow. Not to let his fear show. He’d remembered getting those suspicious looks. They didn’t feel good.

It didn’t matter that he was stronger now. That he’d faced down impossible threats and saved the world. What mattered was the constant repetition that had been sometimes whispered, sometimes screamed his entire life, that had settled deep and insidious in his subconscious.

Don’t walk home alone. Be afraid of the dark.

All he’d been through, and still… this.

He hated it.

He hated that the short skirt and thigh high stockings that had felt fun and beautiful all day suddenly felt like a target he couldn’t cover up.

He hated that worried look in Magnus’s eye as he’d offered to walk him back home.

He hated that he had the option now, when for so long this relative danger had been his only refuge. Most of the time the darkness was filled with people just as scared as you. Just trying to live and let live.

Taako pulled his jacket a little tighter around himself.

But there were also…

Every so often…

If you were unlucky enough…

“Yo,” a voice said at his shoulder.

“Hey, Garyl.”

Taako relaxed almost despite himself. He shouldn’t need this. It felt like admitting defeat.

At first it was quiet, Taako’s heels and four extra hooves on the cobblestones. There was always that pause while he looked around and got oriented to existence again.

“Good party?” Garyl asked quietly, hazarding a guess. And it was a good guess. He wasn’t so far off.

“Just dinner with Maggie.”

The binicorn took in his outfit. The stars drawn on his cheek. The glitter in his hair.

“You got this dressed up for a dinner date?”

Taako laughed softly. He was feeling so much better. (While simultaneously some part of him was feeling guilty for feeling better.)

“It’s not like that,” he smiled. “You know Maggie doesn’t…” He trailed off. They’d talked about it before. He didn’t need to rehash the details. He stretched his palms above him, working out a little tension before letting his hands rest back in the pockets of his jacket. “Just keeping up appearances. I got a reputation to maintain my dude.”

Taako glanced over and was met with that cool, low key fondness Garyl always gave him.

“I’m Taako,” he said simply, like that explained everything. And well, didn’t it? “You know, from TV.”

Garyl Just nodded, eye starting to trail the shadows as they passed. “Cool, cool.” He looked forward again. “So what’s our plan?”

“Just on our way home, my man.” Taako’s expression went a little tight, trying to play casual but hating to admit it.

“Expecting trouble?”

“Nah, just called you up for the aesthetic.”

Garyl mercifully didn’t say anything to that. This wasn’t the first time it had happened. He knew better.

“Got any oats?”

Taako laughed softly but kept an eye out, and a half a block later he spotted an apple core in someone’s trash. He levitated and transmogrified it into a fresh, new apple, then passed it over, floating within Garyl’s easy reach.

“You’re giving me a fake apple?”

“You’re a fake horse,” Taako let himself say, voice filled with sudden resentment that didn’t really belong to him. He felt instantly guilty but wasn’t sure what to say. This was stupid anyway. Garyl was just a spell. None of this was real.

“Binicorn,” Garyl corrected him softly after a pause.

“I’m sorry,” Taako said, feeling horrible. “I don’t have any oats. I don’t even have any pocket pudding.”

“Sugar cubes?”

Taako shook his head and shrugged apologetically.

Another silent block.

“You sure you don’t want a ride?” Garyl offered gently.

“Nah, just company.”

As they continued, the buildings started to grow a little thinner. More homes than businesses. But there was still quite a ways to go.

Part of him had thought this wouldn’t happen anymore. Walking home alone. Part of him thought having Lup back would mean having her back. But things were never going to be like when they were kids. It would never be twenty four seven again.

And that was for the best, of course.

He sighed.

They weren’t kids anymore. He knew it was for the best and they’d go crazy if they ever even tried.

But still.

“You seeing anyone else tonight?” Garyl asked.

“Like?”

The binicorn huffed, eyeing lush, green lawns with a poorly disguised look of longing. “Birdman?”

“Kravitz is working.”

“Muscle boy?”

“I already told you, Magnus doesn’t-“

“Not him.”

Taako glanced over confused. Garyl bared his teeth to clarify.

“Oh,” he said, voice going flat. “I don’t talk to Brent anymore.”

“Brad.”

Taako looked over doubtfully. “Are you sure that’s what that fool’s name is?”

“How bout the care bear?”

Taako scoffed, taking a scandalized step away. “I’m not gonna bang Klarg!”

Garyl rolled his eyes and swatted his tail at nothing. “I just meant to visit. He likes you.”

“Yeah, cause I made him with a charm spell. That’s fucking weird, my dude. It’s almost like talking to you.”

Garyl’s hoofsteps abruptly stopped, and Taako turned around with a groan to face the inevitable.

“You’re kind of being a real dick tonight.” Taako glanced away, but didn’t deny it. “What’s your deal?”

Taako frowned, then walked slowly forward.

“Everyone’s too nice to me now.”

Taako wrapped his arms around Garyl’s neck in a hug.

“What?”

“Ever since… you know. Everyone forgives me for shit. Tries to be understanding when I throw a fit. It’s weird! I’m not used to it.”

Garyl breathed out, letting his chin rest against Taako’s back. “It’s alright to let people be nice to you, Taako.”

Taako made a little noise of disgust but just hugged him tighter.

“Lup never did this. Even when we were little she’d tell me to suck it up and stop being a jerk.”

Garyl sighed, letting Taako pout a moment longer.

“Hey, buddy?”

Taako pulled away, looking up at him with the slightest telling pink tint to his eyes. “Yeah?”

Garyl’s voice fell to something a little more flat and frank. “Suck it up and stop being a jerk.”

Taako Just stared at him, ears falling back in surprise for a moment, then he barked out a laugh, and wiped the back of a finger below each eye.

“Yeah, okay. You got me there, Gar.”

Garyl just smiled, and the rest of the walk home managed to be un-terrible verging on pleasant.

Taako invited him in like always. He wasn’t just some horse. Of course he was going to come inside. When Taako passed out straight on the bed, it was Garyl that found a wash cloth and managed to run some warm water over it before offering it on the tip of a horn.

“Thanks, man,” Taako accepted, magicing away his makeup with a well practiced cantrip, but going through the motions of wiping off his face because the warm water felt good and it had been such a nice gesture.

It was a little more of a surprise when Garyl planted a hoof on the bed and a little awkwardly climbed on up.

“Ah! Warn a guy!” Taako shrieked, scooting to the side just in time to avoid being squashed as Garyl settled in.

“You complaining?” Garyl asked, rolling an eye.

Taako sheepishly rolled back again, cuddling to the binicorn’s side, forehead rubbing against his shoulder. “No.”

Garyl huffed and then lay his head down, neck in a protective arch around Taako. He watched as his ears fluttered a few times, getting comfortable, then relaxed down and back. “Good.”

By the time Garyl’s hour was up, Taako was already deep in his trance, warm and safe as he dreamed about explosions and laughter.

 

**Author's Note:**

> (Writing this made me miss my sister so much. :,) also someone just give Garyl a service animal vest at this point. Jeeze.)


End file.
